Japanese maestro Ozawa in hospital with cardiac issues

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Seiji Ozawa, one of the best known conductors of his generation, is in hospital for treatment of a heart condition and will remain there for about a month, his office said on Thursday.

The 82-year-old Ozawa, a former conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Vienna State Opera, had suffered from esophageal cancer, multiple bouts of pneumonia and back problems severe enough to require surgery in the past eight years, but recovered and went back to conducting.

Ozawa was diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis and will undergo treatment and rehabilitation for about a month at a Tokyo hospital, his office said.

The condition, in which the heart’s aortic valve narrows, blocking blood flow to the aorta and then the rest of the body, is often treated by surgery to repair or replace the valve. No details about treatment were given.

Known for throwing his whole body into conducting, Ozawa has drawn mixed reviews from critics for his dramatic style, once injuring himself during a concert.

But his bushy hair and smile charmed audiences, especially in the United States, where his tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra spanned nearly three decades and made him a household name.